The Thomas More University wrestling team made history this week with their first ever NAIA Wrestler of the Week honor, given to junior heavyweight Daulton Mayer. Mayer’s strong performance at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, where he went 3-2 overall and advanced to the second day of competition against a field of Division I wrestlers, earned him the recognition.
Mayer began the tournament with a 4-0 shutout of Thomas Mukai from Brown University, but then fell to Trent Hillger from the University of Wisconsin by a major decision. Mayer recovered with a shutout victory over Vincenzo Pelusi from Franklin & Marshall College and a fall in 53 seconds against Ryan Boersma from the University of Missouri.
On the second day, Mayer faced off against the seventh ranked wrestler in the bracket, Ben Goldin from the University of Pennsylvania, and ultimately fell by a 7-1 decision. Mayer leads the Saints with 15 wins this season and has a record of 15-3 overall, with 10 falls and one technical fall to his name.
The Thomas More wrestling team will next take on their crosstown rival, the Mount St. Joseph University Lions, on Sunday at noon. This will be a highly anticipated matchup as the two teams have a fierce rivalry and will be looking to secure a victory.